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Athens 5 September (M.P.A.)
Prime Minister, Kostas Simitis underlined the catalytic role the construction of the Spata Airport will play in the efforts for the recovery of the economy, in statements he made today, during the project's foundation laying ceremony. The Prime Minister pointed out that this new project will create thousands of new jobs, adding that the large projects which are under construction in the country are a message of cosmogony and are Greece's voice in international competition, as they lay the pre-conditions for wide cooperation and new initiatives. Mr.Simitis clarified that the day of the project's foundation laying ceremony had been decided many months ago and is simple coincidence that is taking place during the pre-election period. Mr.Simitis stated that the construction of Eleftherios Venizelos Airport in Spata will be completed in 4,5 years from today stressing that this huge project becomes a reality after long procedures that demanded numerous decisions to be taken by the greek state. He said that the new airport will strengthen Greece's geo-political position in the sector of air transportations and will consolidate the country as a bridge linking Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. The Prime Minister referring to the rest huge public works, under construction in Greece, stated that the Egnatia Road Network, a public work of national importance, slowly becomes a reality, while stable progress is being observed and in the public works under construction in the ports of Igumenitsa, Thessaloniki, Volos, Kavala and Alexandroupolis and also in the 8 vertical road axes connecting Epirus, Macedonia and Thrace with the Balkan countries, which will accelerate the development rate in northern Greece. The road axis of Patras-Athens-Thessaloniki-Evzoni, the backbone of the country's road network, is also being promoted in a quick pace, while the construction of the Rion-Antirion Bridge connecting the Peloponnese with western Greece has already begun. Also, significant progress has been made in the construction of the Aktion-Preveza Bridge. The project that will supply Thessaly with water from River Acheloos and has environmental, energy and production value, is expected to start soon, while 50% of the metro network in Athens has been completed and the construction of the Attica Road Network is ready to begin soon. Also, the construction of water supply projects is moving fast, as well as, the biological purification projects in Athens and Thessaloniki. Mr.Simitis stated that the hammering out of the national real estate registry is a significant project that had to be done years ago since the establishment of the greek state. Environment, Planning and Public Works Minister, Kostas Laliotis stressed that the construction of the Stata Airport project will create 22 thousand new jobs and characterized the day of its foundation as a day of honour for those who worked for the safeguarding of public interest. Mr.Laliotis said that with the new negotiations on the project that were held after 1993 the greek state had a financial benefit of over 100 billion drachmas.
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© 1996 Macedonian Press Agency